The Tide scored in five consecutive innings, including 10 runs across the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to secure the win
2/26/2020
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Despite falling behind early, Alabama baseball posted 10 runs across the middle innings to cruise to an eventual 12-6 win over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The win over the Blue Raiders moved UA to a perfect 9-0 on the year, tying for the fourth-best start to a season in program history.
Middle Tennessee got in front 3-0 in the top of the second, but Alabama steadily chipped away before eventually moving forward in the fifth. The Tide gained its lead by scoring in five consecutive innings, starting in the third. UA put up one apiece in the third and fourth but MTSU countered with one in the fifth. Trailing by two, Alabama exploded for a five-run fifth while adding one in the sixth and four in the seventh to secure the win. The Blue Raiders would add two more in the ninth, but it was not enough, as the Tide finished off the 12-6 midweek victory.
The offense posted season-high marks in hits and runs, with 15 and 12, respectively. Alabama was led at the plate by freshman Peyton Wilson. The Tide catcher finished a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base. Trailing closely behind was junior Tyler Gentry and sophomore Drew Williamson, who each posted three-hit efforts and contributed two runs apiece.
Casey Cobb (1-0) picked up the win on Wednesday night. The Alabama senior entered in a tough spot in the second but worked a career-long 4.1 frames, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out three. The win was Cobb's first of the season and second of his Crimson Tide career.
From Head Coach Brad Bohannon
"That was a really good win for us on a day that we certainly weren't perfect. It was kind of a similar story to yesterday. Casey (Cobb) was fabulous. He came in and pitched well for us, really settled the game down. The message I told our team is that we all really believe in our offensive group and don't feel like we're ever out of it. Casey did a great job giving us a chance to get back in there, and he allowed us to go on and score for five straight innings; that's hard to do. They only walked us three times today, so to score 12 runs and to score them in five straight, is pretty impressive. We need to tighten some things up, and I'm excited to have a day to practice tomorrow. We haven't been able to practice because we've been playing so much. We'll use that practice time to get some things tightened up and then play Harvard this weekend."
How It Happened
Alabama will take a quick break from games on Thursday before hosting Harvard from Friday through Sunday The Joe. The Crimson Tide and Crimson are scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch in the series opener followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. The series wraps up on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., moved up from the originally scheduled start time of 11 a.m. All three games will air live on SEC Network+.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabmaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide
2/26/2020
TUSCALOOSA, AL – Despite falling behind early, Alabama baseball posted 10 runs across the middle innings to cruise to an eventual 12-6 win over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The win over the Blue Raiders moved UA to a perfect 9-0 on the year, tying for the fourth-best start to a season in program history.
Middle Tennessee got in front 3-0 in the top of the second, but Alabama steadily chipped away before eventually moving forward in the fifth. The Tide gained its lead by scoring in five consecutive innings, starting in the third. UA put up one apiece in the third and fourth but MTSU countered with one in the fifth. Trailing by two, Alabama exploded for a five-run fifth while adding one in the sixth and four in the seventh to secure the win. The Blue Raiders would add two more in the ninth, but it was not enough, as the Tide finished off the 12-6 midweek victory.
The offense posted season-high marks in hits and runs, with 15 and 12, respectively. Alabama was led at the plate by freshman Peyton Wilson. The Tide catcher finished a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base. Trailing closely behind was junior Tyler Gentry and sophomore Drew Williamson, who each posted three-hit efforts and contributed two runs apiece.
Casey Cobb (1-0) picked up the win on Wednesday night. The Alabama senior entered in a tough spot in the second but worked a career-long 4.1 frames, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out three. The win was Cobb's first of the season and second of his Crimson Tide career.
From Head Coach Brad Bohannon
"That was a really good win for us on a day that we certainly weren't perfect. It was kind of a similar story to yesterday. Casey (Cobb) was fabulous. He came in and pitched well for us, really settled the game down. The message I told our team is that we all really believe in our offensive group and don't feel like we're ever out of it. Casey did a great job giving us a chance to get back in there, and he allowed us to go on and score for five straight innings; that's hard to do. They only walked us three times today, so to score 12 runs and to score them in five straight, is pretty impressive. We need to tighten some things up, and I'm excited to have a day to practice tomorrow. We haven't been able to practice because we've been playing so much. We'll use that practice time to get some things tightened up and then play Harvard this weekend."
How It Happened
- T2 | Middle Tennessee drew a one-out walk and followed with a single. The pair moved into scoring position on a wild pitch before a triple to left-center got the Blue Raiders on the board. The man from third came home one out later on a wild pitch to put MT in front early. (3-0, Middle Tennessee)
- B3 | Wilson began the inning with a double off the top of the wall, just missing a home run. He advanced to third on an infield groundout before coming home in the next at-bat on another groundout. (3-1, Middle Tennessee)
- B4 | Williamson singled with two down to give the Tide life. Junior Jackson Tate then brought home the sophomore with a triple to left-center to narrow the gap to one. (3-2, Middle Tennessee)
- T5 | A pair of singles with an out sandwiched in between put runners on the corners for MTSU. A fielder's choice went for out number two but also brought in one more Blue Raider run. (4-2, Middle Tennessee)
- B5 | Wilson singled to start the inning with the ball going through the right fielder's legs, allowing the freshman to move to third. Fellow freshman Jim Jarvis brought him home in the next at-bat with an RBI-double to right-center. A flyout brought Owen Diodati to the plate with the freshman doubling to score Jarvis and even things up. Following a hit-by-pitch, redshirt sophomore Sam Praytor cleared the bases with a three-run, go-ahead home run. (7-4, Alabama)
- B6 | With runners on the corners, a double play cut down two but brought in one more for the Crimson Tide. (8-4, Alabama)
- B7 | Gentry led things off with a single and was followed by Praytor, who was hit by the pitch. Williamson singled to load the bases before a wild pitch moved the group one base. A balk in the same at-bat moved another run across and forced an MTSU pitching change. A pair of strikeouts followed before Wilson singled to right to score Williamson from third. The Tide catcher then stolen second and came home on a Jarvis single to center. (12-4, Alabama)
- T9 | The Blue Raiders posted two runs on three hits and a walk in the ninth but it was not enough. (12-6, Alabama)
- Alabama is 9-0 to begin the 2020 campaign, matching the 2018 squad's start to the season as the fourth-best start in school history. The 9-0 start in both seasons under Brad Bohannon are the best to a year since 2002 when Jim Wells' team began 10-0. The 10-win mark has been reached twice (also 1998) while the 1988 team won 11 straight and the 1997 squad won 15 consecutive games to start the season – the program's all-time mark.
- Casey Cobb pitched a career-long 4.1 frames. His previous career-long outing was 4.0 against Arkansas on March 22, 2019.
- Cobb's 4.1 innings of relief are the most by an Alabama pitcher out the bullpen this season. The previous long outing for a Tide reliever was 4.0 from Jacob McNairy on Feb. 23 at UNLV.
- Freshman Garret Hester made his Crimson Tide debut.
- Alabama has now recorded double-digit hits in six games this season, including five of the six matchups at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
- The Crimson Tide hitters have now hit at least one home run in eight of nine games with multiple homers in four of those contests.
- Seven of the nine starters recorded at least one hit on the night.
- Peyton Wilson finished a perfect 4-for-4 on the day. The four-hit effort was the Tide's first since Tyler Ras went 4-for-5 last season at Troy on May 8.
- Wilson added four runs scored. The four runs are the second instance this season as Wilson joins Owen Diodati, who also posted four runs against Northeastern on Opening Day.
- Tyler Gentry finished his day a perfect 3-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch. Combining with his 1-for-1 night last evening that included two walks, a hit-by-pitch and sac fly, Gentry has reached base safely in eight of his nine plate appearances during the midweek.
- Sam Praytor recorded his fourth home run of the season this evening, a new career-high total for the redshirt sophomore. His previous high was three during his freshman campaign that saw Praytor play in 46 games (43 starts).
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Alabama will take a quick break from games on Thursday before hosting Harvard from Friday through Sunday The Joe. The Crimson Tide and Crimson are scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT first pitch in the series opener followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday. The series wraps up on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., moved up from the originally scheduled start time of 11 a.m. All three games will air live on SEC Network+.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabmaBSB on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at Alabama Baseball. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
-UA-
RTR,
Diamond Tide
